Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 16, 1999 12:03am | #1

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   It seems likely that a water stream strong enough to remove well adhering paint would also gouge the softer wood out of the siding. Maybe okay to remove already loose paint, but I wouldn't use it on solid paint.

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   Guest_ | Feb 16, 1999 05:37am | #2

   *I tried this once. I made inquiries at the rental store and I was told that it was VERY easy to damage the wood. Finding out the paint store would loan me a sprayer for free, I used the paint store's, but very little paint came off.I don't know if the paint store's sprayer was not as good as the rental's or what. But damaging the wood was certainly not a concern with it. It did clean the surface up nicely, just left the paint.For what its worthNot muchRich Beckman

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   Guest_ | Feb 16, 1999 11:52am | #3

   *jeffi,2000psi works perfectly on very very old and peeling siding. It removes loose paint, not bonded paint.Chips will be everywhere....Let dry after....latex paints.b Have too much experience,Jack : )

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   Guest_ | Feb 17, 1999 10:04am | #4

   *Never, never, never try to strip paint off of siding with a pressure washer. You will force water in areas that you never dreamed possible. Pressure washers were made for cleaning, not stripping. There are several types of commercial paint stripping tools on the market for purchase or rental. The most common looks somewhat like a belt sander, but it has carbide blades instead. It will strip the paint off and leave a smooth wood surface. When washing down a house, stay clear of doors, windows, eave vents, and roofing edges. The water is at a tremendous pressure, and you will force water into areas that were not meant to get wet. You will not notice the water penetration until it is too late. I have seen many painters use a pressure washer for stripping the old loose paint off of a house. They all wind up having to sand excessively to rid the siding of the "fuzz" that appears. This fuzz is the damaged layer of wood, and it must be removed. James DuHamelOwner, J & M Home Maintenance Service

2. 
   L._Bean | Mar 29, 1999 07:22am | #5

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   I have not tried stripping paint personaly but have used pressure washers for a variety of industrial cleaning jobs. A couple of points:
   1)Your choice of nozzle or "tip" will have a great deal of influence on your ability to remove the paint. If you decide to proceed, I would recommend nothing other than a "rotary nozzle". This nozzle concentrates the water stream to about 1/8" in diameter and rotates the water stream in a random orbit. It gives 2000psi the effect of 4000psi. I would recommend a setting between 2000-3000psi.
   2)A co-worker tells a story of trying to strip paint with a pressure washer, and raising all the grain in the shingles. Result-sanding the whole house. I don't know what type of nozzle or what pressure - or if its true!

   I would try a small area first and let it stand for a day or two if possible to ensure all is well.

   Good luck

3. 
   Guest_ | Mar 29, 1999 11:17am | #6

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   It digs into the paintless portion of old redwood siding pretty quick if you let it. Adjust pressure and nozzle size carefully. Try to keep the nozzle pointed downwards if you can to minimize forcing water under the siding. Great for removing loos pieces of peeling paint. The chips fly everywhere, as does dirty water etc. The surface will still be uneven and further scraping and sanding would be needed if you want to do a decent job. If you just want to get rid of loose flakes, its okay and fast.

   It can even remove some paint from concrete walks, but not easily or uniformly.

   In damp or cold climates, or where cellulose was retrofitted as insulation, getting the water behind the siding might create more of a problem than it did here.

4. 
   bill_mikesh | Apr 25, 1999 05:25am | #7

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   Stripping paint with high pressure isn't all its cracked up to be like some of the other guys said. From my experience it makes a mess of the surface your trying to strip. Be prepared to do some extra sanding to smooth the wood out when your done. When I was doing my porch at 5000 psi the paint was flying off, the wood was tore up, and I noticed all may loose paint floating down the street.

1. 
   Rod_Komis | Apr 25, 1999 09:01am | #8

   *I power washed my house with a 2500psi washer and was very disappointed. Everything mentioned about damaging the wood and paint chips flying everywhere is true. And in my case I would still have had days of scraping and sanding if I hadn't chose to reside instead.Too bad I didn't find this great site before I started that project.

5. 
   Guest_ | Apr 25, 1999 04:22pm | #9

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   I'd concur that there are a lot of variables like nozzle and pressure choice but would add operator technique and learning curve, wood speies and condition, etc.

   There's a difference between washing and stripping.

   Had a cedar shake roof presure washed once in prep for treating and wound up with water damaged drywall inside, it found it wasy under or behind some flashing I guess.

   One concern that was not mentioned here was LEAD PAINT ABATEMENT. Depening on regulation in your area (if you care to comply), concerns about your children or grandchildren (if you believe the health risk literature), or concerns on re-sale (if your state has painted surface or soil testing requirements before conveyance) you may find water stripping inadequate from this standpoint even if it meets all other requirements.

6. 
   Avram_Gimbel | May 15, 1999 07:06am | #10

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   Using a pressure washer on old house paint also releases lead into the earth's surface exactly where children might like to play. (Just noticed DScott's comments. I am seconding his lead abatement concerns.)

1. 
   todd_pickering | May 22, 1999 10:11am | #11

   *Gary Wheeler has some good advice.I started out as a painting contractor. Just like a paint sprayer, the pressure washer can really help some ways, it can't do everything people expect, and it can cause alot of damage fast. I still use them to clean a house prior to painting. It is critical to get the siding cleaned of dust, cobwebs, etc even if it doesnt look dirty. You will notice alot of peeling paint under eaves -- the rain doesnt wash there and they didnt clean before they painted. No additional coat will cause it to stick until the loose stuff is stripped completely. I usually spray the house down with a mildewcide and detergent and then rinse thoroughly. I use 2500-3500 psi washers, and 15-40 degree tips depending on how close I am to the surface. I would never use a rotary tip on siding -- it is essentially an oscillating 0 degree tip which will leave a fascinating pattern in your siding but your customers may not prefer the engraving. When you are cleaning, some loose paint will come off just like hand scraping, only faster and very messy. Bare cedar and redwood will be easily damaged by a concentrated spray. You will still have some sanding (I like the big Porter Cable random orbital sander) on the bare wood. Also while the house is drying (3-5 days min.) the edges of paint that is left will tend to lift slightly because of the moisture behind them and they should ideally be sanded smooth before priming and painting. HAVE FUN!

7. 
   Jeffi | May 22, 1999 10:11am | #12

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   I'm looking for information on using a
   pressure washer to strip paint from
   wooden chambperboard siding. Are there
   existing tools and techniques and if so,
   would hand-sanding the finish still be
   necessary? How does it affect the grain?
   Is this an acceptable way to prep wood
   prior to pai